By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A professional from the Racine County Sheriff’s Department is expected to meet with a cross-section of officials from Waterford area school districts and municipalities to discuss disaster training next fall soon after school starts.
At the prompting of Norway Town Chairwoman Jean Jacobson, emergency preparedness will be a focal point of the next area Super Meeting, which will be held Sept. 24.
At Super Board meetings, representatives from four area municipalities and five school districts gather to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Sometimes, as will happen in September, a guest speaker also attends, to provide insight into how operations can be enhanced.
Jacobson said that with a number of tragedies occurring across the nation – most notably the school shootings in December 2012 in Newtown, Conn. – it is important to consider how local officials should respond if a tragic event unfolds here.
“I think we should look into this as a group,” Jacobson said while speaking at the most recent Super Meeting held. “I would like to be prepared, just in case something were to happen.”
Earlier this spring, the Waterford Graded district conducted its own “active shooter” drill, which soon elicited comments of concern from a parent of an Evergreen Elementary School, who spoke at last month’s board meeting.
In the Evergreen drill, parents were notified once the drill began rather than in advance and students were not told it was a drill.
The parent expressed concern to the school board about scaring young children by conducting a practice drill in such a way. The board agreed to bring the issue back for discussion at committee meetings in the future.
While the Racine County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management can offer insight on criminal activity, its personnel also can offer guidance in how local officials should react to natural kinds of disasters, including tornadoes.
Plans call f0r a sheriff’s deputy to provide a brief overview of disaster training at the next Super Board meeting. Jacobson suggested more specific details could be shared at each municipal and school meeting, if desired.
“Everybody’s busy, but I think it’s important we look at this further,” Jacobson said.
The bi-annual Super Meetings rotate venues. The next is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24. The Town of Norway will host the meeting at Town Hall, 6419 Heg Park Road, Wind Lake.
Reporter Tracy Ouellette contributed to this story.
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